UK’s “original green industry” could create 760,000 jobs by 2030

An industry dubbed the UK’s “original green industry” could be worth £42bn by 2030 according to a new report released today.

The ‘Growing a Green Economy: The importance of ornamental horticulture and landscaping to the UK’ report has found that the ornamental horticulture and landscaping industry could support over 760,000 jobs by 2030.

Commissioned by the Ornamental Horticulture Roundtable Group (OHRG), the report has found that the industry – which includes gardens, garden centres, arboriculture, planters and landscapers - could now be worth £13bn more than in 2019 and be supporting an extra 100,000 jobs across the country.

Researched and written by Oxford Economics and Foresight Factory, the report builds on previous analysis that found the industry was worth £28.8bn in 2019.

OHRG Chair Sue Biggs commented: “The value of the UK ornamental horticulture and landscaping industry is huge and yet strangely underappreciated.

“As successful as our original green industry is, there is still so much untapped growth and this report demonstrates the enormous potential we have to develop further, bringing so many benefits through increased tax revenues, improved physical and mental health and wellbeing, and vital measures to combat climate change and help meet the government’s environmental targets.

“But to fulfil this potential, we need to work even more collaboratively with government in the future to achieve our shared goals.

“There is an opportunity for our industry to play a vital role in helping the UK to ‘build back greener’ following the impact of Brexit and the COVID-19 crisis, and to ensure that ornamental horticulture and landscaping becomes the economic powerhouse that it deserves to be.”

Alistair Griffith, chair of the OHRG’s Research and Development Working Group, explained: “Our industry is at the cutting edge of scientific development, something that is particularly important as the UK finds ways to cut its carbon emissions through environmentally sustainable solutions.

He added: “Greater focus on horticultural scientific R&D is vital for tackling climate change.”